"Your living is determined not so much by what life brings you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens."Steps for staying positive in a negative world:

1. Understand that failure is an event, it is not a person. Yesterday ended last night; today is a brand new day, and it's yours. You were born to win, but to be a winner you must plan to win, prepare to win, and then you can expect to win.

2. Become a lifetime student. Learn just one new word every day and in five years you will be able to talk with just about anybody about anything. When your vocabulary improves, your I.Q. goes up 100% of the time.

3. Read something informational or inspirational every day.

4. Start the day and end the day with positive input into your mind. Inspirational messages cause the brain to flood with dopamine and nor epinephrine. Begin and end the day by reading or doing something positive!

Remember: Success is a process, not an event. Invest the time in building a positive attitude. It will pay off well in your skills as well as your career.

Developing a positive attitude adds to our quality of life and spills over onto our meetings with others, by enhancing their lives as well.

Do we drink from a glass half full or half empty? We do have a choice. Gratitude is a wonderful habit to get into. And it's free!

Gratitude brings joy, peace, creativity, love & laughter to my life. Appreciation shown me by others, especially for the little things, gives my heart wings. It helps me to live with love in my heart rather than fear and anger.

“When Life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Then open a lemonade stand and sell it to all the people who are shouting the lemons at you!”

The Lemonade Award is for sites which show great attitude and/or attitude!Rules for the award:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.5. Nominate your favorites and link to this post.I have nominated:

“You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.”

What are the actual benefits of becoming more conscious? Why would anyone care to do this? And what the heck does it even mean to raise your consciousness anyway? While raising your consciousness can certainly enhance your spiritual development, this isn't really a spiritual issue at its core. It's really about hardcore mental development.

What does it mean to become more conscious? I define it as the progressive realization of conscious mastery over your mind. This includes all of the following:

-making careful, intelligent, and deliberate decisions

-maintaining a positive emotional state regardless of circumstances

-developing empowering beliefs while purging disempowering ones

-understanding your own thought processes, emotions, and behaviors

-staying focused on what's most important while tuning out distractions

-building an accurate and effective model of reality.

All of these are skills that we develop across a wide spectrum. Traditional education teaches us basic skills and basic knowledge, but it does little to show us how to develop our conscious minds. We aren't taught how to intelligently make the biggest decisions of our lives, how to cultivate a burning desire for what we want, how to know if our beliefs are inaccurate and need to be changed, how to concentrate, etc. But over the course of your lifetime, these skills will prove far more significant than anything you learned in school.

People whose conscious minds remain underdeveloped often suffer from cluttered and unfocused thinking. Needless worries, trivial distractions, inaccurate observations, false beliefs, and negative emotions run rampant through their thoughts, and most of the time they aren't even aware of it. It's like being stuck in a mental fog. When you talk to such people, you can sense they aren't fully there. The lights are on, but no one's home. Ask them an important question like, "What overall purpose have you chosen for your life?" and you'll likely get a blank stare in response. Because they don't really have control of their minds, they live reactively instead of proactively. Such people are virtually powerless. They essentially do what they're told and try to stay out of trouble, mistakenly assuming this condition is the best they can expect of themselves.

"When you are present, you can allow the mind to be as it is without getting entangled in it. The mind in itself is a wonderful tool. Dysfunction sets in when you seek your self in it and mistake it for who you are"

"The quality of your consciousness at this moment is what shapes the future — which, of course, can only be experienced as the Now" - Eckhart Tolle

"Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don't wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it's at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored."Earl Nightingale1921-1989, Radio Announcer, Author and Speaker

Barack Obama took the oath of office today as the nation's 44th president, then delivered a sobering assessment of where America stands and a hopeful vision of what it can become. "On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," he said.read more

AT THIS DEFINING MOMENT...CHANGE HAS COME TO AMERICA

BE THE CHANGE

"Not everyone can be famous...but everyone can be great, because greatness is determined by service” - Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.

"It feels like a different level of consciousness" - a consciousness of service ~OPRAH

Demi & Ashton Call to service- "Presidential Pledge"I PLEDGE:"To be my best self, to love more, to continue to be of service -to inspire, motivate and empower women, to continue be a spiritual seeker on this journey, to be present, to regain strength and hope, to be more consciously green. To always learn and grow!I pledge...TO BE THE CHANGE"

"I accept this award today with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in the future of mankind. I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that the "isness" of man's present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal "oughtness" that forever confronts him. I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsom and jetsom in the river of life, unable to influence the unfolding events which surround him. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.

"I refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation must spiral down a militaristic stairway into the hell of thermonuclear destruction. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. I believe that even amid today's mortar bursts and whining bullets, there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow. I believe that wounded justice, lying prostrate on the blood-flowing streets of our nations, can be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men. I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down men other-centered can build up. I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive good will proclaim the rule of the land. "And the lion and the lamb shall lie down together and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid." I still believe that We Shall overcome!

This faith can give us courage to face the uncertainties of the future. It will give our tired feet new strength as we continue our forward stride toward the city of freedom. When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds and our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, we will know that we are living in the creative turmoil of a genuine civilization struggling to be born.

Today I come to Oslo as a trustee, inspired and with renewed dedication to humanity. I accept this prize on behalf of all men who love peace and brotherhood. I say I come as a trustee, for in the depths of my heart I am aware that this prize is much more than an honor to me personally."

Today our nation honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In 1963, Dr. King stood on the steps of Washington, D.C.'s Lincoln Memorial and delivered a powerful message to a crowd of more than 200,000 people. His speech, which is now taught in classrooms across the country, is best known for its powerful declaration, "I Have a Dream."

Dr. King's words raised the nation's awareness of the civil rights movement and helped him become the youngest person ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Before his life was cut short by an assassin in 1968, the United States government passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as the the Voting Rights Act of 1965."With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day."

Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think.

"Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don't wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it's at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored."Earl Nightingale

"You are a living magnet. What you attractinto your life is in harmony withyour dominant thoughts."- Brian Tracy

It is not enough just to visualize a few times, and then wait for miracles to happen.

*You need to have a strong desire and motivation, and the commitment to do whatever is necessary to achieve your goal.

*You need persistence, concentration, the ability to visualize, and at least some degree of self-discipline.

*You need to learn to recognize opportunity when it appears, and to be willing and ready to take and use this opportunity.

*You need to be willing to act and take the required steps whenever needed, and not just wait for your desires to materialize from thin air or suddenly drop on you from the sky.

This law can manifest your desires in many ways, sometimes obviously and directly, and sometimes in an indirect way, through various steps.What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: Our life is the creation of our mind.

Since the dawn of cultivation, our existence has relied on our ability to cope with, embrace and be inspired.Whether we (or our egos) like it or not, the truth of the matter is that we live in a world of constant change.

It’s just that from time to time; some of the changes we face tend to be more monumental than others. The economic downturn that we are currently experiencing has left some people with a shaky ground to stand on, bringing up painful emotions.

But what is about change that causes fear? Is it the feeling of losing control (or the illusion of control)? Is it that our conveniently constructed life has to adjust to a new reality? Could we be so wrapped up in maintaining an image of resilience and success that we forget a very important truth-which is that we really aren’t in control of much anyway? Is it simply the uncertainty of it all?

At a time when uncertainty surrounds us, our natural inclination may be to fall into anxiety, fear, doubt and worry. But as bleak as the current outlook may seem for some people, there is hope of a new life-a new world. It may not be easy to remain positive over the next few years as the economy rights itself, but there might be another way- a more encouraging way – to look at your personal experience within the global economic experience.

I ‘m a true believer that big change equals big opportunity. After all, have you ever noticed that when something bad happens, oftentimes we are in a better position than where we initially started?

I’ve had many clients tell me that when they lost their job had to move unexpectedly or were forced out of their comfort zone- looking back- it was the best thing that ever happened to them. Sometimes the unexpected comes as a blessing, and we need to embrace the change and the opportunity that’s presented to us. This is not to say the journey will always be an easy one, but it often can and will lead to bigger and better results for you – in all aspects of your life.

However, embracing change is easier said than done. You see, the problem is that our egos like to think that we’re in control. Whenever we feel like we’re losing control, we unconsciously push the panic button. The lights start flashing. The sirens blaze. Our minds scream, “Look out!”

As a result, it can be difficult- especially when change happens so unexpectedly – to remain positive and hopeful. We’re human, after all. But when we learn to turn the panic around and remain in the moment long enough to realize that we’re breathing and we’re safe, we eventually come to realize that everything is going to be okay.But how do you embrace change?Try this: Instead of building a wall to protect yourself from the unknown, take some time to reflect and open yourself up to new opportunities. Listen to the message in your heart. Relinquish total control and ask yourself: what is the universe asking of me now?

To hear the answer, quiet your mind. You may choose to journal your thoughts and feelings, or to meditate on the question. Or you may simply take a deep breath, close your eyes and listen to your inner guidance. When you get quiet enough, you will hear the message on where you are being led- though it may be subtle at first. It may be as simple as having a feeling that something needs to change.

Maybe it’s time for a complete overhaul on your career. Or maybe it’s just time to change companies to a better fit. Maybe it’s time to embrace the gift of being a stay-at-home mom or dad. Or maybe it’s time to launch that business idea that has been in the back of your mind for years, or write that book you’ve always been talking about. Perhaps it’s time to move or to travel, or to get involved in a project or cause that you are truly passionate about.

Whatever it is, listen. This is an opportunity that is definitely worth evaluating, if not acting upon. Once you hear your answer, trust yourself to act. You may choose to keep things exactly as they are, and that’s okay too. But trust yourself and listen to you inner wisdom – this may be your most important lesson. And remember, you don’t need to know exactly where you’re going or how you’re going to get there. All you really need to focus on is your next step.By; Annette Sharpe

It's a wise custom to end an old year and begin a new one with serious self-reflection. What did you learn this year that can improve your life and make you a better person?

Start by examining the way you think and feel about your job, your relationships, and yourself. After all, the single most important factor in personal happiness and your impact on others is your attitude.

In the geometry of life, the axiom is "positive attitudes produce positive results." They make success more likely, failures less harmful, pleasures more frequent, and pain more bearable. Some people tend to bring warm sunshine wherever they go; others bring cold chills. What do you bring?

To find out where you can improve, take an honest inventory of your predispositions, the attitude you're most likely to start with.

. Are you generally optimistic or pessimistic?. Do you tend to assume the best or expect the worst of people?. Is your first instinct to be empathetic or judgmental?. Is your first instinct to be supportive or critical?. Do you send the message that you enjoy life or that you're barely enduring it?. Do you come across as the captain of your own ship or simply a passenger?

Wherever you are on the positive-attitude spectrum, think how much better things could be if you were more consistently and self-consciously optimistic, empathetic, supportive, grateful, enthusiastic, hopeful, and cheerful.

So why not resolve to think, act, and speak more positively about yourself, your family, your coworkers, and everyone else in your life?

2008 has been a challenging year and I think all of us are ready to start off the New Year in 2009 with a new attitude and sense of determination.
I would like to also thank you for being a reader of Live Passionately;

I wish for you...Love, Prosperity and Wellbeing

If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we are not really living.
—Gail Sheehy